Syracuse Hoops: Expect More?

With the new college basketball season there is a new set of players, and new chemistry (or lack thereof), and new expectations. For Syracuse they lost three starters last year, their backbone some would say, in Wes Johnson, Andy Rautins and Arinze Onuaku. So despite the players they do have returning, and the incoming talent that gave the Orange a top-5 recruiting class, lower expectations are understandable. But you have to look at the team with two exhibitions (for what they are worth), and two non-conference games and say they might be a lot better than what you would expect.

They have two winners of last years sixth man of the year award in the Big East now in the starting lineup with Kris Joseph (also a Sporting News Preseason All-American), and Scoop Jardine (who was on the US men's select team who played against the USA team that won gold this summer). They have Brandon Triche who was on the Big East Freshman first-team and a preseason Wooden Award watch list player, and Rick Jackson coming back who through two games is averaging a double-double.

But those are not the parts of the machine you look at and really deem their potential, but rather with the talented freshman class. Whether it is the number one center of the class, seven footer Fab Melo, or top five guard Dion Waiters, who can score with anyone. And can also dunk if needed:

Then again, those are the two you expect to see play well. No, Syracuse and their season might be made by their other freshman center Baye Moussa Keita, and forward C.J. Fair. In their last game against Canisius Keita had 15 rebounds to go along with his six points. Fair in his two regular season games is averaging 8.5 points a game while shooting 75% from the field, and also bringing down seven boards playing the athletic wing spot in the vaunted 2-3 zone.

The final touches of this team, and important ones at that are the bench "veterans". Only in the sense of the word that they are not freshman, James Southerland and Mookie Jones are going to be relyed on for their shooting. They are shooters, and for Syracuse to be successful, and make a push deep into the NCAA one, if not both, of these guys will have to step up and take shots and make shots. And everyone who knows Syracuse knows Mookie is ready and willing to at least step up and take the shot.

With the pieces at his hand Jim Boeheim should be able to win a lot of games this year, and there is no telling how far his coaching and this year's group of talent can go once all roles are laid out and hopefully achieved.

Brittney Griner Quickly Becoming the Greatest Women's Basketball Player Ever

So when you think about women's basketball you usually think, a slower and more fundamental game of basketball. Some purists might even prefer it to the men's game. Brittney Griner though is a different animal, and perhaps the future of the sport. She does things that nobody really has before, starting with her ability to dunk.

Yes, she can dunk regularly, oh and she knows how to fill the stat sheet too. Giner averages 19 points a game, almost nine rebounds and nearly six blocks a game. She is the leader in all of those categories and has the Baylor Bears in the top 15 in the polls and a real threat for the title (excluding UCONN of course).

But what is really making Griner the best women's player ever is the youtube clip that recently cost her two games:

That punch not only broke the nose of Jordan Barncastle from Texas Tech, but also got Griner suspended for a game by the NCAA and then a game by her coach as well. Now many people are upset by this, and think that it is appauling. However, this girl is the only thing worth talking about when it comes to women's basketball besides UCONN women. Tennessee is not what they used to be, and other than the Oklahoma girl's paying back of her scholarship for not winning the title last year, what is there to talk about with women's basketball? I'm pretty sure I will not talk about the sport besides one of those two topics being the focal point.

So while some people want to bash her for the bashing she dished out, I applaud her for being a true person. She is dominant, and she is tough, and when pushed (or pulled as the case was) she fought back and was the dominant person she is. I cheer for her to keep dominating, dunking and getting people talking about the women's game.

Duke Glad NCAA's are Neutral Courts and Not on the Road

So Duke is 25-5 this year, and all five of those losses have come on the road. Now in their defense three of those losses have come against teams that are currently ranked, in Wisconsin, Georgetown and now Maryland. However, the other two losses came against North Carolina State and Georgia Tech. (Not to mention the fact that they were utterly dominated in the games at NC State and Georgetown)

On Wednesday you saw a team that though they were in the game, and had the lead in the second half, seemed to be in the midst of committing grand larceny, because they were stealing a game they should not have been in at all. Maryland had a 40-29 lead when they just seemed to fall asleep at the end of the first half. Though Greivis Vasquez was not going to let that happen, scoring four of his 20 points at the end of the game, on two of the tougher shots of the game, week, month thus far...I mean it is only the third of the month.


Duke however is a potential number one seed come tournament time that is like night and day away from home. Now they are undefeated in neutral site games this year, but they are a home cooking team since their neutral site games are at Madison Square Garden, where they have played at numerous times in recent years.


The fact of the matter is that the Blue Devils are a team that relies heavily on the big three of Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith. The team goes how they go, and away from Duke they are not doing so well, especially Singler. While Scheyer away from Cameron Indoor Stadium shoots 39% from the field and 36% from three (compared to 42% and 41% respectively at home) and Nolan Smith shoots 42% from the field and 39% from three (compared to 44% and 41%), Singler is horrid away from Cameron.

Singler shoots 41% from the field and 39% from three at Duke, but on when not on his own campus he shoots 36% from the field and only 32% from three. Not to mention if you take away a 10-17 night at Wisconsin, he would be shooting 34% from the field. Bad news for Dookies everywhere relying on Singler come tournament time, as this season on neutral court games he has shot a combined 15-51 from the field, including 4-18 from three.


Duke is a team that has essentially beaten three teams that anybody is expecting something from in the tournament, in Maryland, Gonzaga and maybe Clemson. The rest are not really wins worth noting to be honest. UCONN? Georgia Tech? Va Tech? If these are the wins that you are going to point to as a potential number one seed that struggles away from home as wins worth substance, then another early out seems possible for Duke.

24 Hour Marathon a Huge Success

I went into this idea of the 24 hour marathon of basketball by ESPN as a good idea, and then I watched a good amount of the games and everything. After that I came to this realization: it was a GREAT idea.

I think that anytime you can change things up and make it unique and fun for the fans it is better, and this gimmick was just that. Watching a game at eight in the morning in Niagara and the students in their shower caps with loofahs, and then the IZZOne later on in the night with a great early season game was fun.

Many people believe that March Madness is the best time of the year, watching the underdogs try and win. Watch the tournament develop in front of them. I think that this was a brilliant idea in capitalizing on the idea of March Madness being so intoxicating. The early season tournaments are also fun, and this just added to that early season excitement. A great way to welcome in the season and let everyone know that college basketball is here.

Two Classy Exits for Two Classy Guys

So I can not think of two nicer guys than Allen Iverson and Stephen Jackson. That is if I stop thinking after I say those two names. Two me-first guys find themselves leaving yet another franchise because all they care about is themselves. Same old, same old.

I just wish I could get in these guys' heads to really know what they thought, and why they find it necessary to do the same things over and over again. I mean sure Iverson gave us one of the greatest sports quotes ever, but did he not learn. He should have heard it enough to know that he was an idiot, right?

These guys say they understand, just listen to Iverson "not shoving it aside". Yet here they are in different places yet again, places that I am sure they did not see themselves. I highly doubt that Iverson was expecting a stint of three games with the Grizzlies in his future a couple years ago. So, here we go after a disruption in Detroit he is already out of Memphis. Bye bye Iverson? I hope, finally.

Oh, then there is Jackson, we all remember him don't we?

He is a trouble maker that probably should not be in the league anymore. I am sick and tired of a guy who has some talent, and thinks he has a lot of talent, trying to make himself bigger than his teams and the game. I just wish both of these guys would go away, and find themselves a local Y to dominate at.

I guess I can thank them for an excuse to put two great videos into a post though.

It is finally here

So to me we are reaching the best time in sports, the time of year when there is so much sports you can hardly find a night with nothing to watch. The NFL is in the middle of its season, college football is shaping up its BCS standings, the NBA is getting going, and college basketball is taking off the practice jerseys and putting on game shorts.

Tonight starts the 24 hour marathon of college basketball on ESPN, culminating with two big games on Tuesday night, Gonzaga at Michigan St., and number one Kansas hosting Memphis at home. This is a great concept that really makes it an interesting night, morning, afternoon and then night again for schools. It is helping some of the little guys get on the network, and the fans and universities are really getting into it.

To ensure the 24 hours of basketball there are teams that had to agree to game times that might not usually be found on a schedule. Those might include a Monmouth at St. Peter's game scheduled to tip off at 6 a.m., and an eight o'clock tip for Drexel at Niagara. This is a special event though, and good publicity and these universities are well aware.

The early season tournaments are some of the most interesting basketball of the season too I think. The anticipation of will we see Roy Williams face Jim Boeheim for the first time since the 2003 National Championship with UNC and Syracuse in the 2K Sports Classic? Will Duke and UCONN meet up in the Finals of the Preseason NIT presented by Dick's Sporting Goods? And what coach, or team, will look the most ridiculous in their Hawaiian shirts at the Maui Invitational this year?

I think that little nuances like this is what really makes college sports special, and this time of year special. Sure March Madness is great with the NBA and NHL playoff pictures coming together, but I do not mind 24 hours of basketball following Monday Night Football, to lead me into NBA basketball before the weekend of football.

The Rich get Richer

So since 2005 the North Carolina Tar Heels have won two National Championships, had an All-American six times, three of which were first-team (compliments of Psycho T), and has had a top five recruiting class four out of those five years according to scout.com, including the number one class in 2006.

So what has Roy Williams done in 2009? Well his team is preseason number four following last year's championship, and he has now signed the prohibitive number one recruit in the nation in Harrison Barnes. He will be a nice part of a recruiting class that now has three 5-star players in it, a reloading process by Roy Williams. Now there will be those people that say recruiting stats and stars do not matter that much, but I tend to disagree. I think if you look at the numbers the number of guys that do work out as big recruits would be higher than expected.

Obviously some guys that were not highly though of will become great players, and you will have those duds, but these rankings mean something. Just ask the Tar Heel faithful who took those 2006 number one class ranking and are now celebrating a championship. Ty Lawson seemed to work out from that class.

So sure, maybe me and others can look into the recruiting and what not a little too much, but you have to at least take a look and say North Carolina is going to be a team that seems to becoming an empire. Maybe in about five years, when Roy Williams and UNC have a couple more championships they will be getting yet another number one recruiting class and we will all find ourselves saying, "when will this end?"